Journey to Switzerland Day 3

The Clock Tower



A fascinating fountain

Day 3 : August 1st

It's Swiss National Day! Today, all of us got up rested, excited, and anxious to celebrate the independence day of Switzerland. We woke up at eight and grabbed a quick bowl of cereal before gathering our backpacks, maps, and granola bars before heading out. What better place to celebrate the independence of Switzerland than its capital, Bern? We were going to rent a car, but apparently it would be cheaper and faster to use public transportation. We bought the Swiss Saver Pass which gave us access to use all of the trains, buses, and boats for eight days for a small cost of $282.02 per person. First, we rode a bus to the Zurich train station. From there, we caught a train from Zurich to Bern and made it there in a little over an hour. It was our first experience with the locals; they were surprisingly nice even though their heavy accents made communication tricky. They were always willing to aid the helpless Americans. Yet again, bad luck decided to follow Katie Burnet, and she spilt water all over the front of her pants! Luckily it dried by the time the train reached our destination.

Once we arrived in Bern, we borrowed scooters for free from the organization, Bern Rolls. We have to give the credit to Kaitlyn for finding it, and we were so thankful. Having the scooters made it extremely easy to explore all of the wonderful sights of Bern until it was time for the fireworks at nightfall. First, we decided to check out the famous Clock Tower. This historical landmark was an ornate, astronomical, calendar clock that was created in 1530. We learned that it was the town's main source of time, and the rest of the town set their watches by it. Resonating through the streets at every hour is the sound of the Clock Tower's bell. Also, while we were on our scooters, we stopped to admire a couple out of the hundreds of fountains in Bern. Many date back to the early 16th century and are depictions of famous heroes of the city.

Also, while we were on our scooters, we were able to experience a major holiday celebrated throughout Switzerland. Swiss National Day is a lot like July 4th in America but without the hot dogs and hamburgers. Extravagant displays of fireworks and bonfires were on the hillsides. The country gathered to listen to speeches about the independence of the country from the Austrian rulers, which started with the Grütli Pact of 1291. This pact stated that the three Alpine cantons swore an oath of confederation. We saw children walking the streets with Chinese lanterns, and it was an overall relaxing, insightful experience. At 8:30 we made our way back to the train station and arrived at Lindsay's uncle's house around ten o'clock with the images of fountains and clocks still within in our heads.